KEY SECTORS

Honduras is well endowed with agricultural land, forest and marine resources. Its territory of about 11.2 million hectares is mostly covered by forested mountains. Arable land is estimated at 1.8 million hectares, and pastures extend over 2.5 million hectares (World Bank, 2001). Honduras is the second country in the region in terms of arable land with respect to its population, at about 0.19 ha per capita. It has productive fishing grounds in two oceans and coastal resources that have made Honduras the largest exporter of shrimp in Central America.

Honduras has a high productive potential in agriculture, with access to water and roads in the main centers of agricultural development. The tropical climate allows agricultural production all year of many items that include tilapia, shrimp, sugar, cocoa, coffee, bananas, melons and a wide variety of other fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products.

The northern coast has very fertile land, with a tropical climate that is well suited for banana, sugar cane, palm oil and tropical fruits. Also, the southern region has a tropical climate, with recurrent drought periods, and is oriented towards the production of sugar cane, sorghum, cantaloupes, cattle, and cultivated shrimp. The central regions have more mountainous lands and temperate weather suitable to produce coffee, wood, grains and cattle.

Factors such as low land costs; competitive salaries; geographical proximity to the main importer of agricultural products in the world; and duty-free access for the entry of fresh fruits and vegetables to different markets with different FTAs ​​signed with different countries, Honduras make an ideal place for investment and trade in agribusiness place (More Information, http://prohonduras.hn/index.php/espanol/ ).

The delivery unit of Honduras 2020, has estimated a potential growth of 6.1% per annum, starting in 2018, assuming the initiatives for the Agribusiness sector and the Public-Private alliances proposed are accomplished. The detailed plans are being assigned as key performance indicators (KPIs) to relevant Government agencies who lead on implementing them, working in collaboration with fellow stakeholders to ensure success.

Competitive

ADVANTAGE

AGRICULTURE

In 2016, the agricultural and husbandry sector generated L 60,062 million (primary production only) accounting for 12% of the country´s total GDP. However, this sector employs almost 40% of the labor force and has an incredible growth potential.

DELIVERY UNIT

The Delivery Unit, of the Economic Development Program Honduras 2020, focuses on driving local companies up the value chain through the adoption of better standards, technology transfer and facilitation of higher value activities, utilizing the anchor company model to expand export presence while leading smaller players towards achieving larger market share. Collectively, this enables companies to demand better pricing thus increasing their income.

COMPETITIVINESS & STANDARIZATION

This year we aimed at enabling an atmosphere pro-business development in Honduras and raise the country’s global competitiveness. To achieve this goal, it was necessary for two institutions to be decentralized and all activities undergo a simplification process. It is thereof that the National Agri-Food Safety and Health Service (http://www.senasa.gob.hn/) decentralized from the Ministry of Agriculture and Husbandry and the Ministry of Health achieved a milestones by creating the decentralized Health Regulation Agency (https://arsa.gob.hn) respecyivley. Both organizations have a central role as regulatory bodies for ensuring the competitiveness of all Food, feed and agricultural supplies industries.

HUMAN RESOURCES

The Human Capital Development focuses on upskilling and reskilling the country’s talent pool to meet the human capital needs, while enabling workers to secure higher income jobs through capacity building programs as well as the appropriate legislation.

FINANCE

The Honduran government in the efforts to achieve economic diversification, has been actively involved in the development of different economic trade zones (RIT, ZOLI, ZEDE https://sde.gob.hn/regimenes-especiales-3/) . These zones are designated area that eliminates traditional trade barriers, such as tariffs, and minimizes bureaucratic regulations. The target of a free zone is to enhance global market presence by attracting new business and foreign investments.

A particularly promising initiative are the areas of employment and economic development (ZEDE, http://zede.gob.hn). A ZEDE is a territorial area highly attractive to national and foreign investment, which are inalienable Honduras State party, subject to the Constitution of the Republic and the Government on issues related to sovereignty, application of the Justice, territory, national defense, Foreign Affairs, electoral issues, issuance of identity documents and passports, according to the provisions of Article 329, in the seventh paragraph of the Constitution of the Republic.

The areas of employment and economic development (ZÉDÉ) have legal personality, are authorized to establish its own policy and legislation, created with the purpose of accelerating the achievement of the targets of the nation Plan and facilitate conditions that allow to the country insertion into world markets under highly competitive and stable rules.

Testimonial Video

About Honduras 2020

Is a country development program, which emerges as a transformational initiative from the private sector, being complemented and strengthened by the public sector in order to foster the socio-economic growth of our country.